Kentucky

Ryan Rogers:
There’s a lot of different ways to say Louisville. You could say Lou-ee-ville, you could say Louis-ville, Lou-i-ville. It’s Lou-uh-vul, Louisville.
Only in a city like Louisville, Kentucky, can you turn a two-minute horse race into a two-week party – and that is the Kentucky Derby. Mint Julep is like the classic Derby cocktail. We’re really gonna bring out our bowties; our big, giant hats; and then, ultimately, the Run for the Roses, the fastest two minutes in sports.
You want to check out Churchill Downs, and if they don’t have a race going on, you always have an opportunity to tour the track or check out the Kentucky Derby Museum, a testament to all the great horses that won the Derby previously.
I really recommend you that you visit one of our Kentucky bourbon distilleries. We have an entire Main Street here in Louisville that we call Whiskey Row. One of my favorite distilleries to check out is the Evan Williams distillery. They do a really cool tour and tasting, and they talk about their history. The Old Forester Distillery, they’re really dedicated to making all their Old Forester product and distilling it here on Whiskey Row.
Louisville has a really exciting culinary scene. One of my favorite restaurants is Proof on Main at the 21c Hotel. Chef Jonathan Searle gets ingredients coming in fresh from farmers and puts them on a menu in a very seasonal way. Red Hog’s a really cool restaurant. They’ve combined kind of the best things of a local artisanal butcher shop with a restaurant and bar. Royals Hot Chicken focuses on great fried chicken paired with classic southern sides as well.
Over the past 30 years, Louisville has done a really exciting job of turning our riverfront into a really great, usable space. It also connects Louisville to our Louisville Wharf, where you can find the Belle of Louisville, as well as the Mary M. Miller steamboat. You can take out on a dinner cruise or just a daytime cruise.
The Louisville Mega Cavern is actually not a cave; it’s a former limestone mine, and it’s a really cool place to go and explore and visit. They’ve got an underground zip line; it might be the only underground zipline in the world.
Louisville, let it roll through your mouth – Louisville.

Anne Hardy:
I love Lexington because it is absolutely gorgeous. We are surrounded by the most amazing natural beauty, and it has a lot of the amenities still with the kind of southern small-town charm.
The sights and sounds of horse country are gorgeous rolling hills, green grass; the smells are heavenly. A typical horse country tour is never really typical because every day on a farm is a little bit different. So, you get to choose what kind of experience you want.
Lexington is unique because it is the epicenter of thoroughbred world. Keeneland is the premier thoroughbred racecourse in the United States, maybe the world. It really is one of the most amazing locations for anyone who is interested in thoroughbred racing, or even if you’re not, because you just hear the pounding of the hooves and the screaming of the crowd – and it is so exciting.
The neighborhoods of Lexington are so fun to walk around. Thursday Night Live is the party where everyone goes after work. Grab a cocktail, listen to music, experience downtown and also be on our historic Courthouse Square.
Smithtown Seafood is your quintessential pub, fish and chips, location, and you can walk right into the West Sixth Brewery, put an order in for your beer, get your fish and chips, and then you’ve got a West Sixth pint waiting on you. I love it.
Windy Corner Market is an absolute gem, right out in the middle of horse country, and you get to experience true Kentucky southern cooking.
Whether you were born here or you’re a transplant, you learn to love the bourbon and appreciate it. There are lots of great bars around and different ways to introduce you to it if you’ve never had it before.
At the Pepper Campus, you will find a hodgepodge of really fun and unique things to do. It is actually an old bourbon distilling operation that for many years sat vacant and has been completely revitalized, and it is now a center for fun attractions. So, if you want ice cream, you’ve got it; local pizza, same thing. If you want to elevate your experience a little bit, Middle Fork is a great spot. So, it’s just a really fun thing to see it come back together because it once was a really vibrant part of Lexington, and now it is again and still incorporating that bourbon heritage that we have.
Welcome to Lexington!